In writing about autonomous cars, we tend to discuss the advances in (or shortcomings of) self-driving technology. We make assessments based on how well (or how poorly) autonomous vehicles have learned to drive like humans.

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New York City might seem one of the most car-hostile environments on the planet, but it really isn't. Take the city's annual auto show as irrefutable proof of the opposite.More >>

By John Voelcker

Electric cars may still seem futuristic, but there are actually 16 different plug-in models you can buy today.

Availability depends a lot on where you live, though. Several of them are so-called compliance cars, offered only in California and a handful of other locations to meet that state's requirements for sales of zero-emission vehicles.

Others are more widely distributed, but are very low-volume, selling only a couple of hundred a month--or less.

Here's our rundown of all the plug-in electric cars you can buy today, both battery electric ("pure electric" cars) and plug-in hybrids (which have both the ability to run on battery power alone and an engine to provide more power and extend their range).

We've broken them into categories so you can understand which apply to you and may be available in your area.

HIGH-VOLUME

These six cars--two battery electrics, and four with both battery packs and combustion engines--represent the bulk of plug-in car sales in the U.S. this year. All of them have fairly wide distribution, and five of the six are from established carmakers.

But they differ enormously in size, range, body style, and personality. Here's our breakdown of stats and assessments.

2014 Chevrolet Volt

The range-extended electric Chevy Volt will do all of its first 35 or so miles on electricity from its battery, then switch to its range extender--essentially a gasoline engine that turns a generator to power the electric motor that turns the front wheels--for another 300 miles or so.

- How far you can go on electricity: 38 miles (EPA)

- Combined gas mileage on gasoline: 37 mpg (EPA)

- List price (before any incentives): $34,995

- Where you can buy it: Throughout the country, though not from every Chevy dealer

- How many have been sold/leased: 56,700 (as of Feb 28)

- The buzz on it: Volts cover almost two-thirds of their total miles on grid power, not gasoline--meaning owners average one visit a month to the gas station. And it has the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any car General Motors has every offered.

2014 Ford C-Max Energi

One of Ford's two Energi plug-in hybrids using identical powertrains, the C-Max Energi is a five-door compact hatchback that's built on many of the same underpinnings as the popular Focus compact sedan and hatchback.

- How far you can go on electricity: 21 miles (EPA)

- Combined gas mileage on gasoline: 43 mpg (EPA)

- List price (before any incentives): $32,920

- Where you can buy it: Ford dealers across the country certified to sell plug-in cars

- How many have been sold/leased: 10,600 (as of Feb 28)

- The buzz on it: Nice interior, stronger performance than the plug-in Prius, but the larger battery pack raises the cargo floor and impinges substantially on the rear load bay--making it less practical for family use than its C-Max Hybrid sibling, which has a lower cargo deck.

2014 Ford Fusion Energi

One of three plug-in hybrids that look little different from their hybrid or gasoline counterparts, the Fusion Energi shares both its powertrain and the longest rated range with the C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid hatchback.

- How far you can go on electricity: 21 miles (EPA)

- Combined gas mileage on gasoline: 43 mpg (EPA)

- List price (before any incentives): $34,700

- Where you can buy it: Ford dealers across the country certified to sell plug-in cars

- How many have been sold/leased: 7,400 (as of Feb 28)

- The buzz on it: Possibly the handsomest plug-in hybrid, the Fusion Energi is one that's gaining traction--now used by everyone from families to the New York Police Department.

2014 Nissan Leaf

The distinctive Leaf is the world's best-selling electric car, with more than 100,000 delivered as of early this year. Nissan has placed a bigger bet on battery electric cars than any other established automaker, and seems determined to make the Leaf work--though there have been hiccups aplenty in the process.

- How far you can go on electricity: 84 miles (EPA)

- List price (before any incentives): $29,830 (with delivery)

- Where you can buy it: Throughout the country

- How many have been sold/leased: 44,800 (as of Feb 28)

- The buzz on it: Does everything you expect a car to do, if you can live with range that varies from 50 to 90 miles depending on speed, temperature, driving style, and a host of other factors. The most popular and prevalent battery-electric car in the country.

2014 Tesla Model S

The Tesla Model S battery-electric luxury sport sedan is remarkable in any number of ways, from its performance (as low as 4.1 seconds from 0 to 60 mph) to the company's expanding network of DC fast-charging Supercharger locations that can recharge the car's battery to 80 percent in as little as 20 minutes. The Silicon Valley startup automaker has broken many rules of the auto industry, but it's succeeded in producing a car that's not just good but has won awards, delivered customer-satisfaction scores as high as any Consumer Reports had seen, and generally shaken up the global auto industry.

- How far you can go on electricity: 208 miles with 60-kWh battery, 265 miles with 85-kWh battery (EPA)

- List price (before any incentives): $69,900

- Where you can buy it: Tesla has showrooms in a number of states, while others have banned it at the behest of established dealerships. Buyers actually purchase the car online; the company then delivers it to their desired location.

- How many have been sold/leased: approximately 23,500 (as of Feb 28)

- The buzz on it: The fastest, sleekest, coolest, and simply best battery-electric vehicle on sale today.

2014 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid

When it went on sale in February 2012, the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid was the only competitor for the Chevy Volt. Both cars plugged in to run on battery power, with an engine to back up the battery and add range once it was depleted. The trusted Prius hybrid brand (and access to California's carpool lanes) gave it a boost early on, but with many more plug-in hybrids on the market now--every one of them with more electric range--its sales appear to have plateaued lately.

- How far you can go on electricity: 11 miles (EPA)

- Combined gas mileage on gasoline: 50 mpg (EPA)

- List price (before any incentives): $29,990

- Where you can buy it: Toyota dealers certified to

- How many have been sold/leased: 26,700 (as of Feb 28)

- The buzz on it: Lowest electric range of any plug-in, just 11 miles--and you have to baby it to keep it running on battery power even that long. Accelerate hard, and the engine switches on and howls in protest as this heavier Prius accelerates hard. On the other hand, 50 mpg when the battery is depleted is the best of any plug-in hybrid.

Finally, we get to six vehicles that for various reasons sell only in low volumes. Some are pricey, some are in segments that normally see only low sales, and all of them are running at just 200 sales per month--and in some cases, considerably less.

LOW-VOLUME

2014 Cadillac ELR

Launched only in December, the mission of the Cadillac ELR range-extended luxury coupe was to use GM's Voltec powertrain (as in the Chevy Volt) in an upscale, more luxurious vehicle that would give Cadillac a plug-in to compete with models coming from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and other luxury brands. But while the striking coupe design is luxurious and quiet inside, it's neither powerful nor revolutionary--and most reviewers felt it falls far short of its high price.

- How far you can go on electricity: 37 miles (EPA)

- Combined gas mileage on gasoline: 33 mpg (EPA)

- List price (before any incentives): $75,000

- Where you can buy it: Roughly half of U.S. Cadillac dealers have signed up to sell the ELR

- How many have been sold/leased: 105 (as of Feb 28)

- The buzz on it: A nice, luxurious car for two people that's priced about $30,000 too high. Wait for it to come off lease.

2014 Ford Focus Electric

After the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf, the Ford Focus Electric was the third plug-in car from a global maker to go on sale, way back in late 2011. But its sales have been minimal, and Ford itself has said it doesn't expect the car to succeed--a puzzling message given that the company brags that it can build the electric Focus on the same production lines as the gasoline versions.

- How far you can go on electricity: 76 miles (EPA)

- List price (before any incentives): $35,170

- Where you can buy it: Ford dealers across the country certified to sell plug-in cars

- How many have been sold/leased: 2,700 (as of Feb 28)

- The buzz on it: All the features of the regular Focus (nice interior, good handling) in a quieter, all-electric version. But load space in the cargo bay is severely compromised by the onboard charger, making the latest Leaf a more practical option.

2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid

The latest generation of the Honda Accord, which debuted for 2013, has been well received--and it adds two new models, both a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. The latter is sold only in small numbers, through the same Honda dealers who sell the Fit EV battery-electric hatchback.

- How far you can go on electricity: 13 miles (EPA)

- Combined gas mileage on gasoline: 46 mpg (EPA)

- List price (before any incentives): $39,780

- Where you can buy it: California and the Northeast

- How many have been sold/leased: 580 (as of Feb 28)

- The buzz on it: We liked Honda's first plug-in hybrid on our test drive, and found its electric-only performance to be strong, though it has less range than the competing Ford Fusion Hybrid. But it's a rare beast indeed, unavailable in most parts of the country.

2014 Misubishi i-MiEV (late spring)

Before the Nissan Leaf arrived in December 2010, the i-MiEV electric minicar was the world's most popular electric car, based on its sales in Japan and Europe. It came to the States after extensive revisions to meet North American safety standards, but the little five-door hatchback is likely perceived as just too small for most buyers--although it has a surprising amount of room inside for its length. The 2014 model will go on sale late this spring, following a one-year hiatus in i-MiEV sales after the 2012 model year.

- How far you can go on electricity: 62 miles (EPA)

- List price (before any incentives): $22,995

- Where you can buy it: Not all of Mitsubishi's small dealer base sells the electric car

- How many have been sold/leased: 1,700 (as of Feb 28)

- The buzz on it: The tiniest four-seat electric car is simply underpowered for mixed use, but it's fine (and inexpensive) for running around town. One plus: All 2014 i-MiEVs will come standard with the same CHAdeMO quick-charging port as the Leaf, meaning longer journeys are possible where charging stations exist.

2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid

The first plug-in hybrid sedan from a prestige German brand, the E-Hybrid model of Porsche's Panamera four-door sport sedan arrived in December and set a brisk sales pace for its class. The EPA still hasn't released ratings for either electric range or gas mileage, but the appeal of a practical Porsche that plugs in seems to have persuaded almost 250 buyers to write checks in just three months.

- How far you can go on electricity: TBA

- Combined gas mileage on gasoline: TBA

- List price (before any incentives): $99,000

- Where you can buy it: Selected Porsche dealers in California and a few other states

- How many have been sold/leased: 243 (as of Feb 28)

- The buzz on it: It's fast (0-to-60-mph in 5.2 seconds), powerful (more than 400 hp from its engine and motor combined), and luxurious, but it's no Tesla Model S.

2014 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive (coupe and cabrio)

The Smart is small and cute, but the gasoline version is unpleasant to drive, with an automated manual transmission that shifts hard and rough, pitching the car back and forth as it accelerates. The electric powertrain dispenses with all that, making the car smooth, quieter, and far more peaceful. The base vehicle dates back to the late 1990s, however, and it shows its age in several ways--but if you need easy parking on big-city streets and can recharge at night, it's good as an urban street warrior.

- How far you can go on electricity: 68 miles (EPA)

- List price (before any incentives): $25,000

- Where you can buy it: California, Oregon, and some Northeast states

- How many have been sold/leased: 1,140 (as of Feb 28)

- The buzz on it: If you can live with two seats, it's the least expensive electric car on the market until 2014 Mitsubishi i-MiEVs arrive. Leases on the electric coupe start at $199 a month, including a separate battery lease. It's also the only electric car offered with a convertible top.

'COMPLIANCE CARS'

Finally, there are also four additional battery-electric vehicles on sale, at least in very specific parts of the U.S.

They're what's known as compliance cars, or vehicles built solely to meet a California mandate that the six highest-volume automakers in the state put a certain number of vehicles with no tailpipe emissions at all on the road every year.

They're sold in California and often in eight other states that have adopted the Golden State's stricter emission laws, but they're essentially unknown in the rest of the country.

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